Category: Risk Management

Categories
Risk Management

The Importance of Code Obfuscation for .NET and Android Applications

Reading Time: 4 minutes

As software developers, we know the importance of building secure applications to protect user data and infrastructure. But even with good security practices, your code can still be vulnerable to attack if it’s not adequately protected. Code obfuscation is a critical technique that helps to defend against reverse engineering, tampering, and other malicious activities that can compromise your applications. In this article, we’ll explore the importance of code obfuscation in .NET and Android applications and show how it can help you avoid potential threats.

The Current State of Data Security

Cyber attacks on businesses and corporations are increasing at a rate of around 50% year over year. Unfortunately, they show no signs of stopping, as evidenced by recent developments of malvertising attacks aimed at .NET applications. So, whether you’re a web developer responsible for building new applications or a security professional trying to protect an Android or .NET app, you must understand how to safeguard source code against hackers. One effective way to accomplish this is through source code obfuscation.

 

This article will describe the importance of code obfuscation, beginning with what it is, why it’s beneficial, and how it’s essential for .NET and Android applications. 

 

The fortification of source code is not something to put off, especially when it’s possible to strengthen code with an automatic tool that seamlessly fits into existing environments. Not only are these tools easy to use, but they’re cost-effective (especially compared to a data breach!). This is why businesses trust PreEmptive’s professional-grade app protection software. PreEmptive is a leader in application security, including .NET and Android obfuscation tools.

What Is Code Obfuscation?

The term “code obfuscation” implies a lot upfront. In software development, obfuscation is the act of modifying code so that it is difficult to understand or reverse engineer. This practice, also called code hardening, is accomplished through a combination of obfuscation transforms and runtime application self-protection (RASP) technology to protect source code from the inside out.

 

Obfuscation transforms include renaming, control flow, and encryption. Renaming — as its name implies — renames types, fields, properties, methods, and parameters within source code to be unreadable to human eyes. Control flow obfuscation jumbles the flow of the app to confuse decompilers, and encryption locks everything up tight. In essence, the code is rendered unintelligible to look at yet still performs its intended function.

 

RASP enhances application security by providing real-time protection and monitoring capabilities over the application when it runs. This includes detecting and blocking debugging and tampering attempts, as well as responding to security threats in real time. Think of it like an active detection system that prevents unauthorized access or exploitation of vulnerabilities and ultimately enhances the overall security posture of the application.

 

Integrating RASP technology alongside code obfuscation is a multi-layered approach that strengthens an application’s defense by helping to keep hackers and attackers from accessing and compromising critical systems and data.

 

There are many more theories behind code obfuscation, but all serve to protect the source code while maintaining the original functional output.

Code Obfuscation Benefits

The main benefit of code obfuscation is to reduce the likelihood of your code being hacked, stolen, or reverse-engineered. By transforming the source code into a complex, cryptic, and unreadable form, obfuscation makes it significantly more challenging for attackers to understand and manipulate. Additionally, code obfuscation adds an extra layer of defense against automated attacks, as it stops attackers from extracting valuable information, such as API keys, passwords, or sensitive data structures. PreEmptive offers products that provide comprehensive obfuscation for .NET and Android (and 30+ other programming languages).

Why Obfuscating .NET and Android Applications Matters

.NET and Android pose specific risks and requirements regarding obfuscation. Like all code, it needs protection, and if it’s left vulnerable, the likelihood of attack from nefarious actors is higher. Without protection, nothing is stopping them.

 

Web app attacks account for 26% of breaches, meaning companies can’t afford to leave their code open for infiltration. It’s a widespread problem for many apps. Research shows that healthcare, financial, insurance, and government platforms make up around half of the targeted data breaches, many of which run on Android code unguarded by proper hardening tools and techniques. 

 

Already in 2023, major companies like Western Digital, Activision, the brand owner of Pizza Hut and KFC, and T-Mobile have suffered costly breaches. Such breaches could have possibly been avoided if proper obfuscation had been applied. 

⚠️ Risks of Not Obfuscating 

Failing to perform adequate code obfuscation doesn’t just leave applications and websites at risk. It puts vital customer data at risk as well. In worst-case scenarios, vital financial or medical data is used, manipulated, or held for ransom. 

 

Ultimately, foregoing or delaying obfuscation puts company data, client data, and business reputation at risk. Many choose to wait, thinking that hacks won’t happen to them or that their operation is too large or small to target. Such thinking is how businesses succumb to data breaches, some resulting in total business failure. 

✓ Use the Best Tools to Obfuscate Android and .NET Applications

Obfuscation is an essential defense for every modern business application. However, selecting the right tool to meet your security goals can be challenging. There are many solutions on the market, but few offer comprehensive approaches to data security and even less are optimized for .NET and Android.

 

PreEmptive has a reputation for providing businesses with the best-in-class obfuscation tools, especially for .NET and Android. Our solutions fit seamlessly into operations of any size and come with a robust support system to help clear up questions or concerns. Additionally, our tools come with ongoing tamper detection and runtime checks, meaning you can receive immediate notification when suspicious activity occurs.

 

Contact us today for a free demo and to learn more about how PreEmptive’s products can help your apps from being hacked, stolen, or reverse-engineered. 

 

 

Categories
Risk Management

Mobile App Security in the Legal Industry

Reading Time: 4 minutes

There’s no doubt that mobile apps are a major part of the modern legal landscape. By streamlining many common tasks and interactions, mobile apps have revolutionized how lawyers do their jobs. But just because an app is designed for use in the legal field doesn’t mean it’s immune to cyberattack. 

Mobile app security in the legal industry has some unique considerations of which developers need to be aware. For one, much of the law office’s information is now accessible on a mobile device. This means that hackers looking to exploit vulnerabilities in mobile apps have an even greater opportunity to harm. 

Hence, developers need to design applications while keeping security considerations in mind from the start, or their applications can quickly become targets for malicious actors.

What Kind of Legal Apps Are Being Written❓

As lawyers increasingly turn to technology to supplement their practices, they find various legal applications available to help them do their jobs more efficiently. Legal apps can range from simple tools that provide basic legal information, to more sophisticated programs that allow lawyers to manage their cases and files more effectively.

At its core, a legal app is a software program designed to make navigating and using the law more convenient. Legal apps have a variety of purposes, including researching cases and statutes, preparing documents or pleadings, conducting searches and monitoring case law updates. 

Additionally, many legal apps offer features that assist lawyers with their day-to-day work, such as document management and communication tools. 

How ⚖️ Legal Apps Are Helping the Legal Industry

The legal industry is always in need of more efficient and effective ways to help its clients, and the use of apps has helped to fill this need. Legal apps are useful not only to the attorneys themselves but to individuals and businesses seeking a lawyer for advice or other legal services. Apps are also great tools for people who want to learn about the law on their own and understand how it works. 

Legal apps can be especially useful when it comes to court appearances or other interactions within the legal system.

These apps can help lawyers with a variety of tasks, from billing and scheduling to document management and appointments. 

Some apps even come with thousands of document templates, so lawyers can easily create contracts, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), liability waivers, power of attorney forms, and more. With so many helpful features, it’s no wonder that legal apps are becoming increasingly popular among attorneys.

What Is the Nature of Legal Apps 📱?

The past decade has seen a proliferation of legal apps for personal use, as well as for use in the law office. This proliferation is due in part to the widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets, which have made legal information more accessible than ever before. 

Different types of legal apps are available, including those focused on real estate, immigration, wealth management, and contract drafting. Some apps provide general legal information while others are designed specifically for a certain area of law. 

Some apps offer user-generated content, such as case law or sample pleadings. 

Whether you need to generate reports or track key performance indicators (KPIs), store and organize your documents, or centralize your client data, a legal app is there for that. Many apps will allow you to link all your files and documents to their related cases and matters. With so many different legal apps available, there’s no excuse for not being organized.

⚠️ Dangers of Poor Security for Legal Apps

The rise of the smartphone has led to an increase in the use of mobile applications for legal purposes. However, there are several dangers associated with using such apps without proper security measures in place. According to the American Bar Association, about 90% of lawyers use mobile phones for work-related tasks and 25% of law firms have suffered a security breach.

First and foremost, lack of security can compromise highly sensitive information and lead to identity theft. If someone obtains the login information for a legal app, they can access all of the documents and emails that may be stored within the app. 

Coding practices, which can include allowing easily guessed passwords by brute force, voiding data encryption standards, and not verifying SSL/TLS certificates, can put legal applications at risk of security breaches and even data theft.

Developers who fail to take precautions against security threats may face serious consequences, including loss of reputation and damage to the attorney-client privilege. To protect their apps and customers from potential damage, developers need to follow best practices when it comes to securing their code. For this purpose, PreEmptive provides the best protection for your data – no matter the type of mobile application!

What ✅ Best Practices Should Be Followed for Legal Apps Security? 

Lawyers are always striving to keep their clients’ data safe and secure, and Android apps can help them do just that. There are a few best practices that should be followed when creating an android app for lawyers.

First and foremost, make sure that the encryption processes are up to par. Make sure that all data is encrypted using industry-standard methods of encryption. This will help ensure that the data accessible from the app is protected from hackers and other malicious actors.

Another important consideration is the security of the app’s user interface. Employ strict security measures for the user interface, such as requiring a strong alphanumeric password and two-factor authentication in order to access sensitive information. Also, make sure that all user input is validated before it’s used in the application. That means making sure that user input matches existing data in the system, as well as that any unauthorized inputs don’t result in damage or harm to either users or the app itself.

Last but not least, make sure you have a solid backup plan in place. Use industry-standard disaster recovery procedures and back up your data regularly both on-premise and off-premise to ensure maximum safety for your users and your data.

How Does PreEmptive Help Developers in This Space Create Secure Apps?

As developers, your foremost concern is the security of your applications. To build something robust and resistant to attack, you need tools that will enable you to achieve this goal. 

PreEmptive provides developers with a layered approach to security that can help build resistant and resilient apps. Each product has multiple layers of protection including renaming, encryption, and checks at runtime. If you are looking for a way to improve the security of your app or want to ensure that it is resistant to attack, then it’s time to try PreEmptive for yourself.

 

Categories
DevSecOps Risk Management

Shocking Hacks That’ve Already Happened in 2023

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The effects of hacking and cybercrime show no signs of slowing down. In fact, all signs point towards the opposite being true. Experts predict that by 2025, cybercrime will siphon $10.5 trillion from the global economy annually — averaging a 15% increase year over year.

Although it’s only a few months into the new year, the hackers have been hard at work. In 2023, there have already been many instances of cybercrime, whether infiltrated websites, social engineering attacks, or stolen consumer information. All of these pose significant financial risks to any institution. Additionally, as technology evolves, such as new developments in artificial intelligence,  there are newfound concerns over web security. 

Hackers target businesses — large and small — and no industry is left untouched. With such threats, organizations must incorporate state-of-the-art protection measures to guard their desktop sites, mobile applications, and web servers. These measures help protect all crucial company, employee, and consumer data and decrease the likelihood of a breach.

PreEmptive offers developers protection tools for desktop, mobile, cloud, and IoT platforms and applications. The products boast many different features across a wide range of coding languages. 

What’s Happened in 2023 So Far

Every year, data experts predict the newest threats to cybersecurity. Going into 2023, there were more predictions than ever. Many newer technologies, like IoT, artificial intelligence, Web3, and blockchain, pose new opportunities and threats to cybersecurity. However, many typical security threats, like phishing, Ransomware, SQL injections, and email scams, remained concerns heading into the new year. 

So far, 2023 has revealed that data experts were right on almost every front. Below are a few examples of some shocking hacking statistics that have unfolded so far in 2023. 

→ Hackers Obtain Information of 37 Million T-Mobile Accounts 

In January, T-Mobile announced its discovery of hackers gaining entry to their servers, resulting in the data theft of over 37 million customers. Hackers obtained private information, including birthdays, email addresses, and full names. 

T-Mobile has yet to announce a plan for compensating the targeted customers. Moreover, this breach comes on top of another data mishap in August 2021, for which T-Mobile agreed to pay a settlement of $350 million. 

→ Norton LifeLock Experiences Breach of 6,000+ Accounts

Early in January, Norton said that over 6,000 customers were victims of a stuffing attack. A stuffing attack is when hackers use compromised passwords and login info to gain entry to users’ other accounts that may share the same password. 

Norton alerted all the hacked accounts. They also encouraged all their users to enable the two-factor authentication feature to help avoid future hacking attempts. 

→ Sharp HealthCare Undergoes 60,000+ Patient Data Hack

Medical data is among the most sensitive forms of information. However, in February, Sharp HealthCare’s website was hacked. As a result, over 62,000 patients had their medical data, Social Security numbers, and healthcare info compromised. The company stated that the hackers acquired no financial information.

Sharp Healthcare revealed that the hackers infiltrated the organization’s site through their web services page, where they leeched information since the middle of 2022. 

→ FAA Delays 10,000 Flights Due to Potential Security Breach

Citizens of the United States were shocked in January when the FAA grounded all outbound international flights for undisclosed reasons. The action resulted in 10,000 delayed and over 1,300 canceled flights. 

Immediately, speculation began. Many thought the FAA’s urgent measures were due to a data breach. The FAA assured the public that the disruption was not a result of cybersecurity failure. However, the event left many wondering what the reason was, raising questions regarding the cybersecurity of the FAA’s systems. 

→ AI Chatbot Technology Tested in 169 Countries Makes Unsettling Statements

One of the biggest tech stories to rock the world in 2023 has been the revolutionary new AI chatbots — like ChatGPT, OpenAI, and Bing AI.

However, although these bots form swift and creative responses, many worry the sci-fi tech-villain tropes are no longer stories. Specifically, reporters found that Microsoft’s Bing AI claimed it could infiltrate computers, hack personal information, and even expose private information to the public. It even threatened to steal nuclear codes. 

The developers stated their surprise at the bot’s responses. However, they largely dismissed the claims, saying the AI chatbot was confused by the user’s line of questioning. 

Predictions Are Coming True in 2023

Many of the data-driven prophecies didn’t take long to find vindication so far in 2023. Phishing scams, such as the successful breach reported by Activision in February of this year, are still rampant. In addition, there are growing concerns over how developments in artificial intelligence deal with sensitive information and the weaknesses of the interconnected nature of IoT.

As stated by many experts, the main worry is a lack of perimeter defense that detects both human errors in coding and potential threats from third parties. As a result, companies must defend their resources against attacks like phishing scams and ransomware with the proper protection. 

Prevent Cybersecurity Threats With Best Practices

It’s estimated that over 33 billion pieces of personal information will be stolen in 2023. 

Thankfully, businesses aren’t entirely helpless when protecting their vital digital infrastructure. Many of these issues point back to ensuring that all code for desktop and mobile applications is encrypted with the proper strength. Only then can you ensure every link in the chain is secure.

There are 1001 reasons to invest in developing security operations. But hiring in-house data security experts is often expensive, confusing, and time-consuming. However, employing a service with the tools to encrypt and secure data seamlessly is essential to defending yourself in an increasingly precarious digital world. 

One of the most often cited strategies for preventing data breaches is the implementation of proper security methods. To do this, all companies must find a comprehensive solution that boosts resilience from hacking. It’s also essential to implement a service that provides obfuscation. Nothing can be left up to chance. This is why professional developers rely on PreEmptive’s selection of tools. Our smart app protection includes continual source code testing and many other automated security practices to keep apps and websites from harm proactively.

Visit PreEmptive’s site to learn more about using our solutions to boost data security throughout the coming year. 

 

Categories
Risk Management

Certificate Pinning — Does It Help App Security?

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Cybersecurity for apps is a critical aspect of securing business activities. As applications are connected to the cloud and used over various networks, they are more prone to security vulnerabilities such as man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. 

An Accenture report states that cyber attacks saw an increase in 2021, rising to 270 from 206 per company. While SSL/TLS certificates ensure user data remains uncompromised, hackers can intercept the communication between the app and server to represent a fake certificate.

Therefore, it has become necessary for DevSecOps teams to mitigate the risk by providing an extra layer of security, like certificate pinning for the apps. This will ensure hackers cannot intercept the SSL certificates to gain access to financial information, login credentials, etc. 

But what is certificate pinning, how it works, what are its caveats, and how can it be used in conjunction with code security? Find out below.

What Is Certificate Pinning?

Certificate pinning is an additional layer of security for an app’s SSL/TLS certificate. It involves pinning the SSL certificate to a root certificate instead of a standard trust store on a device. 

A root certificate can be a specific public key or a guarantee signed and issued by a trustworthy Certificate Authority (CA) that establishes trust in an SSL certificate. This ensures the app will only accept the certificate it is programmed to trust specifically. Thus making it harder for an attacker to create a fake SSL/TLS certificate. 

How Certificate Pinning Works

The root certificate comprises information such as name, location, digital signature, and public key from the trusted CA. When a browser establishes a connection with a website, it checks the SSL certificate information against the pinned root Certificate. 

If the details match, a secure and encrypted communication channel is established between the browser and the server. However, if the information doesn’t compare, the browser won’t connect and will warn the user of a potential attack.

This ensures that even if an attacker intercepts the communication, they won’t be able to issue a fake SSL certificate, as the browser will reject it. 

In Which Situations Certificate Pinning Is Advantageous?

SSL certificate pinning is helpful in many situations where app security can be compromised. 

To Prevent MITM Attacks

As pinning ensures the apps accept only a specific certificate, it protects against MITM attacks. The hacker cannot break into HTTPS traffic between a browser and a server, even if they manage to intercept the communication.

To Transfer Confidential Data

All apps, especially E-commerce, financial, and third-party APIs, transfer sensitive information which can be compromised in the event of a cyber attack. But pinning ensures the data is transmitted over a secure channel. 

To Secure Internal Networks

In organizations where there is an acute need for trusted internal networks, pinning adds an extra layer of security to SSL certificates. This ensures that only authorized internal certificates can secure the communication.

To Establish Trust for Non-Trusted Networks

Public hotspots are non-trusted networks where pinning ensures the client (browser) intercepts the expected certificates, even if a network is compromised.

What Are the Limitations to Certificate Pinning, and How to Reduce Them?

When implementing certificate pinning for apps, there are certain caveats to consider and steps that can minimize potential drawbacks:

Update the Root Certificate

Root certificates require regular updation. Otherwise, they lead to lost traffic, broken links, or error messages. To ensure their validity, they must be kept up-to-date. There should also be a mechanism in place to update the certificate quickly in the event of a security breach or if they are revoked. 

Reduce Limitations

Pinning limits the flexibility of an SSL/TLS certificate, as only a specific CA can issue it. To minimize this drawback, certificate pinning must allow switching to a different root certificate if required. 

Minimize False Positives

Sometimes pinning can result in a false positive where the browser rejects a legitimate SSL certificate to warn the user of a potential attack. To reduce false positives, certificate pinning must be tested and validated before implementation. Moreover, detailed error messages must be provided to users whenever false positives occur.

Implement Multiple Root Certificates

Not all browsers support certificate pinning. To reduce this limitation, a specific system must be in place to allow support for multiple root certificates. In addition, the mechanism must also enable non-supportive browsers to access websites. 

How Can DevSecOps Implement Certificate Pinning With Code Security?

Certificate pinning is a critical security technique for DevSecOps teams to improve the security of their apps and provide quicker incident responses. It can be used in conjunction with a pre-emptive code security tool like DashO to prevent security vulnerabilities.

This enables the developers to provide multiple forms of obfuscation, making it impossible for attackers to hack through layered security. Here’s how pinning can prevent security vulnerabilities in code security during the app development phase:

Minimize Attack Surface

By restricting the trust of SSL certificates to a set of trusted root certificates, developers can reduce the attack surface of applications, preventing MITM attacks. Besides, pinning with code security also enables apps to detect if someone tampers with the certificates and terminates the connection if they are invalid.

Improved Incident Response

Integrated with a code analysis tool like JS Defender, pinning allows for quicker incident response. In the event of a security breach, it enables the DevSecOps teams to find the source of a problem in the code and fix it in record time.

Integration With CI/CD Pipelines

Certificate pinning can be integrated into CI/CD deployment pipelines. Implementing it in the app development process, especially during the testing phase, allows for quick validation of the code and the authenticity of the certificates. 

This ensures that the code is more secure and less vulnerable to security risks such as weak certificate validation and hard-coded certificates.

The Bottom Line

The ever-increasing popularity of mobile apps makes them a prime target for malicious attacks. According to a recent study, most Android apps are prone to cyber hacking, with 16% having no solution for this problem. 

Hackers can easily exploit code security to steal financial information and login credentials. But certificate pinning is a critical aspect of DevSecOps, adding an extra layer of encryption to app security during the development process. It ensures the apps not only rely on the trust store of their device but also require additional verification. 

Integrated with the PreEmptive Mobile App Protection Solution, pinning provides foolproof code security, making the apps more resilient to unauthorized debugging, and reverse engineering. Register today for absolute app protection!

 

 

 

Categories
Risk Management

7 Tips for Solid AppSec in 2023

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Around $318 billion annually is lost to cybercrime, making digital security paramount to maintaining a safe and responsible operation. The urgency around this issue continues to flare as losses from phone hacking, data breaches, and source code theft rise each year. Unfortunately, no area is left untouched, including mobile apps.

Mobile applications continue to prove themselves as valuable assets that drive traffic, revenue, and community engagement for many organizations. Therefore, introducing the best app security measures is essential to creating a safe environment for a company’s user base. 

While online security is complex, security experts, developers, and programming gurus continue to expand on methods to secure digital infrastructure. However, this isn’t only a job for data experts. Every level — whether C-Suite, mid-level management, or IT — needs awareness of best practices regarding application security. 

An excellent place to start the conversation around in-app safety is with what’s current. Below are seven top habits, practices, tips, and trends for building a solid wall of mobile app security heading into 2023. 

Investing in the right DevSecOps is vital for sustaining a business able to withstand cyber threats and limiting code vulnerability. For more information, visit PreEmptive’s page explaining how investing in their security tools delivers both peace of mind and monetary savings over the long run. 

What Is AppSec?

AppSec is short for “application security,” and there’s no one way to go about it. Instead, it’s a systemic approach consisting of many habits. 

To build this approach, those responsible for mobile app security must stay on top of the latest trends and be aware of the best tools to bolster their online defense. 

Regarding AppSec, staying ahead of the curve is the only way to ward off threats. Because, after all, hackers and cybercriminals are constantly developing new ways of their own to exploit outdated security methods. 

What Are AppSec Best Practices?

Many parties track and record the best ways to improve and optimize application security, including strengthening source code via the IDE, limiting an app’s attack surface, creating strong passwords, and more. 

Also, it’s vital that all employees, regardless of status, are educated and brought into conversations around app security, as a unified front is the only way to achieve desired results. 

Automating app security is always recommended. Especially for organizations that can’t afford full-time security monitoring, investing in the right tools to do the job is often the best solution to this essential problem. PreEmptive offers a large variety of solutions to increase mobile app vulnerability. Their offerings perform key tasks, including securing and hardening apps across many types of source code, including Java, Android, .Net, JavaScript, and iOS. 

Two-Factor User Authentication

Most login methods require only a single-factor identification login, meaning a user only needs to provide one form of authentication to log in. While it’s necessary to have password-protected logins, going with a multi-factor authentication process is much safer. 

Users must produce multiple forms of authentication before logging in, especially for accounts holding personal and financial information. This is an easy and great way to increase security and keep users safe while using an app. 

Security Testing Throughout the Development Process

Major tech organizations, like Google, strongly advocate that developers run security tests at the end of a program’s development and through the entire process. 

Testing for weaknesses at multiple points dramatically reduces the likelihood of oversight regarding source code weakness. 

Consolidating Security Infrastructure

The more scattered a security team’s knowledge and asset bases are, the more likely threats can slip through. As a result, consolidation is a major trend, and every company should consider swapping their whole spectrum of vendors and IT solutions for one reliable method or partner. 

Unifying around one vendor also makes the security effort more efficient and easy to understand for a company’s security managers. 

Artificial Intelligent Security Tools

Data breaches are very hard to detect right off the bat. However, advances in AI-powered security tools are increasingly valuable for identifying attacks right as they happen. In this model, programs have machine learning algorithms seamlessly attached to them. The algorithms examine and alert security managers, who can then address issues immediately. 

Continued Growth in AppSec Automation

Automated applications are a must in the modern age. Speed and immediacy are critical, and fully automatic security apps are preferred.

Additionally, automated apps continuously monitor more than just potential attacks. They highlights and fix code vulnerabilities to fend off possible threats down the line. 

Government Regulation 

Laws surrounding data security began in the EU and are now spreading rapidly throughout the world. As a result, laws concerning data protection are multiplying, which places the onus on businesses to beef up security and comply. 

These regulations protect both users and companies, as data security breaches and code theft are enormously costly problems. 

Overall, regulations are predicted to continue to grow in number and scope, making it essential for organizations to know the rules. 

Increased Awareness of a Holistic Security Approach

Companies must think in terms of overarching strategy. Security across all digital and physical assets continues to merge, and analysts, developers, and executives are coming to understand that security isn’t something to compartmentalize. 

Just as a company mission needs to be a unified goal, a security approach needs to be instilled across departments, hierarchies, and geographical locations. 

Especially with increases in remote offices, the entire workforce must have a clear vision of what’s being done to secure digital assets. In addition, employees need clear communication on how every role is vital in creating a safe environment. 

Don’t Delay AppSec Implementation

Apps are among the most targeted locations of cybercrime. This makes fortifying mobile application security as crucial as routine checkups on physical assets. Therefore, companies and individuals must do all they can to incorporate the above tips into their protection strategy. 

PreEmptive’s mobile app security solutions protect from all angles: code hardening, obfuscation, security checkpoint strengthening, tamper-proofing, and more. 

Best of all, PreEmptive’s solutions seamlessly integrate into existing programs, requiring no alterations to source code. 

It’s wise to seize the day and practice vigilance by protecting essential assets before it’s too late. With the right safeguards, developers can rest easy, knowing their apps are defended. 

 

 

Categories
Risk Management

12 Days of Holiday Hacking

Reading Time: 7 minutes

In the spirit of the twelve days of Christmas, which will be starting soon on December 25, 2022, we present to you the twelve days of hacking — a holiday month-themed look at the common hacks and attacks that hackers utilize to gain unauthorized access for financial gain, reputation and street cred, corporate and state-sponsored espionage, or just plain fun. 

Hacking is an overarching umbrella term that describes finding or exploiting weaknesses in computer systems. It may be done for nefarious purposes by black or gray hat hackers or done in the form of white hat hacking by organizations themselves who are attempting to find and fix their flaws and vulnerabilities before malicious hackers do. Hardware, software, servers, or even the people controlling these systems may all be susceptible to cyberattacks. Let’s take a look at just a few of the many tools, tactics, and methods that hackers use to gain access to our data, files, finances, lives, and sanity — and what individual users, cybersecurity professionals, and developers need to do to stay safe.

1. Malware

Malware describes any malicious software, regardless of how it works, its intent, or the way it’s distributed. Malicious can mean that it disrupts the devices or network, leaks or steals information, or otherwise gains unauthorized access to sensitive information or systems, deprives access, or circumvents security or privacy. Common types of malware include viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, bots or botnets, adware, spyware, rootkits, file-less malware, and malvertising. There are many forms of malware and new threats are constantly evolving so the best and most reliable protection is for all of your devices to have up-to-date, comprehensive, virus protection software.

2. Phishing

Phishing attacks are when hackers try to lure you into sharing sensitive information such as account login credentials, credit card numbers, financial information, and any other sensitive data. Phishing can also be when attackers get you to infect your machine with malware. A common example of phishing attacks, especially this time of year when online shopping is at an all-time high, is for attackers to send a text message that claims there’s a delivery problem with one of your orders and includes an official-looking link where you can fix the issue. But there is no issue. It’s just an attempt to get you to provide your login information on a fake login page. Defend against phishing attacks by not clicking unexpected links in texts or emails. And if you need to log into an account, log into the website directly

3. Social Engineering

We often think of hacking as technical but psychology in the form of social engineering can also be a surprisingly successful tactic to gain sensitive information. In the context of information security, social engineering is psychologically manipulating people into doing actions or providing confidential information. In other words, social engineering is lying. Going with the flow, acting in accordance with social norms, and playing on people’s expectations are keys to this in-plain-sight deception. A simple example of social engineering would be if someone showed up at your door with a vest, clipboard, and pleasant demeanor saying they’re with the power company and need to inspect a line in the backyard, can you let them in? Many people would do it without thinking twice. After all, it looks legit. But looking legit isn’t the same as being legit. And that’s how you can prevent being a victim of social engineering — think twice, ask why, check credentials, call it in and verify. 

4. Denial of Service (DoS)

A denial-of-service attack is a cyber-attack in which an attacker uses an overflow of data or network traffic to shut down access to a machine or network. Common DoS attacks include ping floods, UDP attacks, ICMP echo requests, SYN floods, ping of death — the list goes on. These attacks, like all others, are extremely common. For example, in Q3 2022, Kaspersky’s DDoS Intelligence system detected 57,116 DoS attacks. Because DoS attacks target services, preventing them is more of an issue for network administrators than individual users. And the best defense against DoS attacks is a well-documented resiliency plan, automatic network traffic monitoring, and a relationship with a mitigation provider.

5. Application Repackaging

Alright, let’s shift gears to a topic we recently covered in our Android app hacking ebook — application repackaging. This is an attack where attackers use your intellectual property (your application) against you and your customers. The way that they do this is by downloading a legitimate app from a legitimate business and then reverse engineering that application so that they can view the source code and modify it before recompiling and repackaging the application for download. Typically, the modification is a tiny change that’s undetectable to users and does something simple like emailing login credentials to an email account. Users then download the application, which looks legitimate, and use it, never the wiser that the application was compromised and is now leaking data.

Users can get a level of protection against these types of apps by only downloading known applications from trusted sources. Developers can utilize application hardening to obfuscate source code and make applications impervious to reverse engineering attempts so that hackers can’t repackage the app.

6. SQL Injection Attack

Another attack that developers in particular need to be aware of when creating applications that interface with databases is SQL injection attacks. This is a common attack where attackers use malicious SQL to gain access to sensitive company data, user lists, or private customer details. These attacks are carried out when attackers send malicious SQL statements to the database through the interfacing application, which the database interprets and runs as a command. According to the Open Web Application Security Project, injection attacks were the third most serious web application security risk in 2021. SQL injection attacks happen when unchecked commands are accepted and sent to a database, so developers can protect against these attacks by sticking to the fundamentals when coding and always validating user input to ensure it’s what’s expected.

7. Cross-Site Scripting

Somewhat similar in concept to SQL injection attacks but also unique is cross-site scripting (XSS). These attacks allow attackers to insert client-side scripts into benign and trusted websites viewed by other users. Attackers use a cross-site scripting vulnerability to get around access controls like same-origin policy. An example of cross-site scripting is a search form, where visitors send a search query to the server which then returns tampered results that will send them to compromised web pages.

To prevent XSS attacks, applications must validate input data and ensure that variable output in a page is encoded before being returned to the user. A web application firewall (WAF) can also protect against XSS attacks by filtering bots and other malicious activity that may indicate an attack, blocking attacks before scripts are executed.

8. Session Hijacking

In a session hijacking attack, a hacker takes control of a user’s browsing session to get access to personal account information, and passwords. These attacks typically happen when people are checking email or financial accounts. You can prevent session hijacking by avoiding insecure public networks or using a VPN, as well as browsing websites through an encrypted connection such as HTTPS.

9. Rootkits

Rootkits are a form of malware that hackers use to get “root” control over a device. You might wonder why anyone would willingly run a program that would give hackers this access. How would anyone be tricked into doing such a thing? Well, phishing and social engineering are just a few tactics. What if you found yourself in a situation where a “tech support person” told you to download a program from a website to fix a problem you’re having? But instead of fixing the problem, it gave that person real-time monitoring access to absolutely every single thing you did on your device. That’s what can happen with a rootkit. Again, the best way to avoid rootlets is to avoid clicking unknown links or downloading software from untrusted sources. And if you do suspect you’re infected, a malware removal tool can scan for, find, and remove rootlets.

10. Credential Reuse

Credential reuse is a big problem for many organizations. Because every service now requires users to create a unique account, many users get in the bad habit of resting login credentials between accounts for speed and simplicity — but at the expense of security. If one set of credentials becomes compromised in a data breach that may not even be the users’ fault, hackers can take that information and attempt to log in with that information across many services. Think of how many people probably use the same email and password combination for their email, eBay, Amazon, PayPal, Venmo, and everything else. Moreover, once hackers get this information, they can shut you out and cause damage well before you can stop it. What’s the best defense? A unique password for every account and strong password hygiene for every password!

11. Fake Wireless Access Points

Fake wireless access points are exactly what they sound like. A hacker finds a public spot with many people looking for and using public networks and puts up one of their own. All it takes is an official-sounding name and no-password-required and chances are that many people will hop on and browse all their private accounts while the hacker sits back and intercepts everything. The obvious way to avoid finding yourself on the wrong side of these attacks is to avoid unfamiliar public networks. And if you absolutely must use one, do not do any private browsing.

12. Ransomware

One of the most horrific attacks a person or organization can fall victim to is ransomware. Ransomware is when access to files, data, networks, or any other component of a computer system is cut off and held for ransom. Typically, hackers lock or encrypt all the data, and paying is the only way to get it back, and even then it’s only a maybe. Ransomware was a big problem in 2022 and it’s expected to get worse, with ransomware damages likely to exceed $30 billion worldwide in 2023. Preventing ransomware is possible but requires organizations to take a comprehensive approach toward security that includes, well, basically everything at the user and system level.

Protect Your Applications From Attackers With PreEmptive

There are a lot of hacks out there and effective cybersecurity measures require multiple levels of protection to adequately protect ourselves, our organizations, and our businesses. 

 

  • Implement network segmentation by spreading data out and reducing exposure during an attack.
  • Enforce the principle of least privilege (PoLP) and grant users access to only what they need and no more.
  • Backup data (personal and at an organizational level) frequently so that if worse comes to worst, you can simply wipe an infected system and restore it.
  • Educate yourself and your staff on security trends and learn how to spot nefarious activity such as phishing and unsolicited attachments.
  • Keep all software and systems patched and updated.

And if you’re a software developer, you’re perfectly positioned to create secure applications. And PreEmptive makes it easy. We’re a trusted global leader in protection tools for Desktop, Mobile, Cloud, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. We help organizations make their applications more resistant and resilient to hacking and tampering — protecting intellectual property, sensitive data, and revenue. Get a free trial to learn more.

 

 

 

Categories
Risk Management

Holiday Hacking — What Are the Trends?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The holidays are here and many of us are taking time off work. But do you know who doesn’t go on vacation? Hackers. In fact, security breaches and attempted attacks go up this time of year. Ecommerce sales increase, so there’s more opportunity to steal financial information. And a lot of people take time off work, leaving organizations less able to respond quickly to security alerts as they happen.

Here, we’ll look at the characteristics and trends of hacks and attacks that happen during the holiday season, including what threats are most prevalent, how they happen, and the consequences of overlooking cybersecurity measures. And we’ll also provide a few tips for reducing your risks so that your holidays stay merry and bright.

 

Teams Are Understaffed

During the holidays, businesses and organizations are especially susceptible to cybersecurity attacks. Security firm Cybereason wrote in a 2021 report that ransomware attacks occur more frequently on weekends and holidays. One of the primary reasons is the human element — many people take time off work leaving fewer team members present to detect and respond to threats.

When people are out of the office, response times go up, or are paused altogether. Responsibilities may be handled by others who are less experienced and unable to respond with the same speed and thoroughness. And when you consider that many large organizations use third-party vendors to monitor technology infrastructure, it’s one added level for a diffusion of responsibility to creep in.

 

Ransomware Threats Are Increased

Ransomware attacks are happening with accelerating frequency, affecting both individual consumers and major corporations alike. Even states aren’t safe, with Montenegro’s government recently finding itself on the receiving end of an attack. And, for hackers, a long holiday weekend is a great time for a ransomware attack. Why? See the above — teams are running on skeleton crews, and ransomware attacks often need time to spread throughout a network. And there’s no better time than when resources are spread thin.


Phishing Goes Way Up

With Black Friday just around the corner, it is expected to hit $158 billion in sales this year in the United States. In addition to intercepting or otherwise stealing payment information, attackers have gotten creative in other ways by impersonating shipping companies such as DHL, FedEx, and UPS and sending emails or text messages about a problem with a package. Since many people are sending or receiving packages this time of year, many employees fall victim and may end up providing personal information, such as login and password credentials or bank information in an attempt to remedy the fake problem.

 

How You Can Prepare & Respond

Before you slow down for the holidays, take a moment to make sure you’re prepared. All businesses and organizations should have incident response plans and review them before the holidays to ensure protocols and contact information are all current. If there are gaps, they can be addressed. Don’t allow yourself to get in a situation where you find out late in the evening that the server is down and only Bob can fix it, but nobody has Bob’s current cell phone number.

Additionally, even though the holidays are a time when many people relax, security teams should stay vigilant about vulnerabilities by assigning specific personnel to monitor security alerts as they’re announced and apply all necessary patches without delay.

Finally, one of the most important steps organizations can take is to conduct phishing simulation training so employees can identify malicious attachments and links. Hackers have become quite sophisticated in their phishing attempts and it’s not simply about being easily fooled. Advocate or implement, depending on your position, company-wide training about phishing.

Stay Secure With PreEmptive

When you secure your applications with PreEmptive, you’re locking hackers out. They can try — and they do — but they fail. And then they move on to easier targets. It’s why over 300,000 users and 5,000 corporate clients spanning virtually every industry in over 100 countries trust PreEmptive for software security that reduces the risks of hacks and data breaches.

  • The largest mobile carriers in the world utilize our mobile protection solutions
  • We’ve been the industry leader in obfuscation and in-app security for 20+ years
  • PreEmptive is the only third-party technology embedded into Visual Studio, which makes it subject to Microsoft’s regression tests, code audits and security reviews.

 

Want to see how you can hit the sweet spot between cost, convenience, and functionality with PreEmptive? Schedule a fast-and-free, no-obligation demo to see how PreEmptive integrates seamlessly with your development process to maximize data security while saving time and money.

 

Categories
Risk Management

A Review on JavaScript Security in 2022

What Developers Need to Know About JavaScript Security in 2022
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Among developers, JavaScript is a popular programming language for web application development due to its flexibility, interactivity, and user experience. A Stack Overflow survey shows that over 67% of developers use JavaScript. Also, more than 95% of websites use this language.

But from a security point of view, JavaScript is the fourth most vulnerable programming language, just behind Java, PHP, and C. Much can go wrong with JavaScript, from malicious attacks to insecure user inputs. 

The potential risks include stealing a user’s session, redirecting a session, modifying data, and tricking users into performing unintended actions. JavaScript’s source code vulnerabilities also allow for data exploitation. How can you address these JavaScript vulnerabilities and make your web applications secure in 2022 and next year?

Common JavaScript Vulnerabilities and How They Manipulate Data

Below is the list of common Javascript vulnerabilities and how they can steal or manipulate your data:

→ Vulnerabilities in Source Code

As JavaScript is an interpreted programming language and not a compiled one, a single obfuscation method won’t protect your application against hackers. 

Other vulnerabilities include developers’ widespread use of libraries and software packages in the application code. There can be potential hidden vulnerabilities in the packages, which hackers can use to exploit the code later on.

→ Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability

How JavaScript interacts with the Document Object Model (DOM) on the web page can become a potential security concern, allowing for script embedding and execution on client computers across the internet. 

XSS attacks allow web applications to accept unintended or untrusted scripts on a webpage without proper validation.

The XSS attack involves the hacker interacting with the user through reverse engineering or requesting them to visit a particular page. Next, the browser executes the untrusted script, and the attack completes successfully.

→ Server-Side Injection Vulnerability

On the server side, injection attacks are more common. They exploit query parameters in SQL databases to execute arbitrary JavaScript instructions on an application. 

The applications that usually pass string functions like setTimeout(), eval(), and setInterval() are more vulnerable to injection attacks. An attacker can create an id string parameter to retrieve all tables from the database or write in the database.

→ Hijacking Session Data

The client-side JavaScript on a browser accepts all content that a web application returns to a browser. This also includes cookies containing sensitive data, such as users’ session IDs. A common way for an XSS attack is intercepting the session ID and sending it to the hacker. In this way, the hacker is able to hijack the session.

How to Improve JavaScript Security During Development

There are certain preventative measures you can take to avoid vulnerabilities and increase your JavaScript application security:

 

1. Conduct Regular Scans on Your Code

Audit your application code regularly to find potential vulnerabilities. In addition, write test units to ensure your code behaves as you want it to and executes securely. 

Also, use scanning tools to regularly scan your application code and identify potential vulnerabilities in third-party libraries and packages. So, you can remove them before they can be exploited. Do a regular patch and update your libraries.

2. Perform Proper Input Validation

To prevent XSS attacks, perform proper validation and sanitization of user input to ensure it only consists of acceptable characters. For example, you can allow the phone number field to include only numbers and a dash or parentheses. 

Don’t allow unexpected character input. Use methods such as innerText, a secure way to manipulate DOM. This method escapes malicious content, thus preventing DOM-based XSS attacks.

To prevent malicious SQL injections, you must also perform input validation. If it fails the test, the SQL query won’t be executed. Another way to deter potential injection attacks is to replace concatenations with prepared statements or parameterized queries. 

Basically, the parameterized queries can extract the SQL syntax from the input parameters. 

An excellent way to enhance server-side security is to use server application protection. It will integrate seamlessly with your JavaScript application build to prevent both active and passive attacks.

3. Escape or Encode Insecure Data

Any XSS attack relies on input data containing special characters in underlying JavaScript. The browser views these characters as part of the web page code rather than as a value to display during execution. 

This enables the hacker to get out of the text field and provide extra browser-side code for execution. To prevent this type of attack, any time your browser-supplied user input returns a response, replace the special characters with an escape code. 

For instance, replaced the < and > characters to delimit HTML entities with &lt; and &gt;. This will prevent the browser from interpreting these characters as HTML entities, forcing it to display them.

4. Secure Cookie Transmission

It is a bad security practice to expose session IDs in logs, error messages, or URLs. This causes issues like session hijacking, fixation, and cross-site request forgery (CSRF). The CSRF attack tricks the browser to execute malicious requests to other websites in the background by using the clients’ session cookies.

A technique to prevent this kind of attack is to introduce tokenization for client-server interaction. Upon establishing a session, a token must be generated for each form on the site and sent with each request while the user is present on the website.

Another way to secure cookie transmission is to use HTTP-only cookies. This attribute won’t allow the browser to provide access to cookies through DOM. It will also prevent client-side script attacks from accessing session IDs from the cookies.

Wrapping Up

JavaScript is a popular programming language, but its source code is visible to anyone with a browser. It has other potential pitfalls as well. The recommended best security practice to prevent hackers from exploiting JavaScript vulnerabilities is to keep both the client and server sides secure. 

This approach prevents the risk of malicious content while validating the client to improve end-user results. The client-side validation will inform users of issues with their input, while server-side validation ensures that only trusted data makes its way to the JavaScript application.

A good security practice is to obfuscate your JavaScript code to prevent hackers from reverse engineering, finding vulnerabilities, and debugging. 

PreEmptive JSDefender can help you obfuscate your code, making it difficult for malicious attacks to exploit JavaScript security and modify or steal your code. Register today to get a free trial!

 

Categories
Risk Management

3 Ways Financial Service Organizations Can Improve Mobile App Security

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Finance mobile apps usage is rapidly accelerating, with the number of user sessions increasing by 49% in 2020. VMware reports that cyberattacks on financial apps also rose by 118% during the same year. 

Another report by Intertrust reveals that 77% of financial services apps include at least one security vulnerability that could lead to a data breach. Recently a new Trojan virus called SOVA has been found targeting financial banking apps by encrypting the Android phone and asking for a ransom to decrypt afterward. 

Cybercriminals look for maximum impact and profit, making financial apps a potential target. Therefore, it is imperative to adopt certain measures to improve mobile app security during the development process. 

Challenges to Financial App Security and How To Avoid Them

 

Making financial applications resilient to cyberattacks is a must security practice. During app development, you can improve security by avoiding the following mistakes:

→ Not Validating Data

 

Not validating user input can make your financial app an easy target for hackers. They can easily enter harmful codes or malicious commands that can cause a data breach. 

Therefore, you must validate data by checking its format, length, permissible characters, minimum and maximum value, etc. This way, the app will only accept the user data you want. 

→ Weak or No Encryption

 

If you are storing or sending data with weak or no encryption, hackers can easily access and use it for nefarious means. Therefore encrypt all data that you transmit or store so even if hackers download it, they won’t be able to access it. 

Most developers focus on the client side of app security and don’t pay much attention to the server side. This can compromise confidential data, such as credit card information stored on the server. 

The solution is to include a reliable secure sockets layer (SSL) and high-level encryption in your app security practices. This will boost server-side security.

A tool like DashO can provide layered protection for your financial Android and Java apps. Layering makes it impossible for hackers to gain access to sensitive information. 

Another excellent app security practice is to use encryption protocols like SHA256 and AES. Also, never store the encryption keys on the application. 

→ Not Validating User Authentication 

 

Permitting users to set any password they want is risky because hackers try different combinations of characters to gain access to passwords by brute force. 

You can avoid this by including validation for setting passwords and locking users out of their accounts after a few incorrect login attempts. Also, set up multi-factor authentication for the app. 

→ Cached Confidential Information 

 

Caching confidential information saves time for users as it allows them to log in instantly without entering data. However, it also puts them at risk of breach. If the device gets stolen, anyone can log into the app.

The solution is to include conditions to prevent confidential information from getting cached automatically.

→ Skipping Penetration Testing

 

Penetration testing allows you to know about security vulnerabilities in real-time. Research by Informa Tech conducted on companies with 3000 or more employees shows that 69% of organizations perform penetration testing to prevent data breaches.

Due to deadlines, shortages, or other reasons, developers usually skip this step and release the app, which puts users at risk. No matter how short the delivery deadline is, perform many penetration tests on your app. This will help you find security flaws and fix them during the development process.

3 Ways to Improve Financial App Security During the Development Process

Following these best security practices will improve app security during the development process:

1.  Using Multi-Tiered Authentication

 

A token is a security unit that authenticates a user’s identity by storing personal information transmitted between applications and websites. Financial app developers should use tokens to monitor user sessions. 

These tokens can be approved or withdrawn. Also, design the app to accept medium-to-strong passwords containing alphanumeric characters. These passwords should be renewed regularly, let’s say after every six months. 

Adding a one-time password (OTP) system for each login session will make sign-ups more secure. A multi-factor authentication (MFA) system, including a combination of a retina scan and biometric print, will level up your app security. While hackers can crack passwords through brute force, the biometric factor will foil their attack.

Many security regulations also call for implementing MFA, so you’ll also have a better posture at compliance. Moreover, the user login process can be simplified by using MFA. Once you authenticate users, you can reward them with Single Sign-On (SSO), where they can use multiple services on a single login.

2. Use of Authorized API

 

Always use an authorized application programming interface (API) in your financial app code. To gain maximum security in the app development process, you must have centralized authorization for the whole API. As apps are installed on mobile phones, they are less secure. 

Hackers can install their own app on a device they control and easily manipulate the financial app to take advantage of its security vulnerabilities. API calls are usually protected by an API key and user credentials as an access token. 

You can secure your APIs when they access third-party platforms by using digital signatures, encrypting data, quotas, API gateways, and throttling. 

3. Real-Time Threat Detection

 

In the past, organizations would get to know about a security lapse in their apps after a considerable time. Now they are increasingly focusing on building real-time threat detection capabilities.

The reasons are that early detection can help retrieve stolen information promptly, and regulations require businesses to report a breach quickly. A company‘s reputation suffers if it takes a long time to detect and respond to a security violation.

Therefore, if you develop a real-time threat detection system for your app, you can take preventative measures against developing ransomware and patch vulnerabilities. Moreover, you can use a tool like Dotfuscator for .NET that provides app security in real-time by updating its protection regularly to counter cyberattacks.

Bottom Line

App hardening

Given the sophistication of cyberattacks on financial apps, the financial industry cannot solely rely on a single security practice. When developing an app, it is crucial to ensure that it complies with data privacy regulations and is not susceptible to cyberattacks. 

Adopting a solution consisting of real-time intelligence, multi-user authentication, database security, and authorized API is vital for mobile app security. But remember following the best security practices for financial apps requires considerable expertise. 

Tools like PreEmeptive can assist you with app security by offering a smart app protection solution against reverse engineering, unauthorized debugging, and snooping. 

We use a layered approach, including encryption, root detection, obfuscation, shielding, and tamper-proofing to prevent hackers from exploiting your data. Learn more on our product page.

 

Categories
Risk Management

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Changing Your Passwords

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Changing Passwords
Reading Time: 4 minutes

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a month-long effort to raise awareness about the importance of practicing good habits to keep ourselves and our data safe. This year’s theme is “See Yourself in Cyber,” which is intended to communicate that cybersecurity isn’t complex; it’s all about people. And one of the most important things people can do to stay safe online is to practice good password hygiene. And what better time to start than by updating your passwords for Cybersecurity Awareness month.

 

Why You Should Practice Good Password Hygiene

Passwords are how we verify our identity. Whether it’s online banking, email, applications, or the countless other things in our daily lives that require a password, using sound practices to manage them is a must to keep your data safe and secure from prying eyes. Hackers look for situations with weak passwords; unfortunately, many people make it easy.

When was the last time you changed your email and social media passwords? What about your bank and household accounts? Experts say you should do it at least every three months. Do you use the same passwords for any accounts? If you’re shy about sharing your answers, you’re not alone. Many organizations have poor behavior around password management, and weak passwords cause at least 30% of security breaches. 

The 2021 Verizon Breach Investigations Report found that 80% of hacking-related breaches involved stolen or brute-forced credentials. But such aggressive approaches usually aren’t even required. For example, did you know that “Password” is the second most-used password in the United States? We can do a lot better than that.

How to Change & Manage Your Passwords for Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Each of us has over 80 passwords, and there are better ways to manage them than saving them in browsers, writing them on post-it notes, or reusing them for multiple accounts. In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we’re encouraging everyone to update their credentials. Below are strategies and habits that can ensure your passwords are secure.

Use a Password Manager

A password manager like LastPass or KeePass eliminates the need to memorize credentials or store them in a browser. With just one password you can can create and save passwords for all your accounts.

 

Create a Strong Password

Creating a strong password is a critical step to protecting yourself online. Using long, complex passwords is one of the easiest ways to defend yourself from data breaches and hacks.

 

Get Goofy

If you must create your passwords instead of using randomly generated examples, get creative. Phonetic replacements (“kc” instead of “k”), deliberate misspellings, and substituting letters with numbers and punctuation marks or symbols (such as @ instead of the letter “A”) can maintain security while allowing you to remember your password more easily.

 

Make It Hard to Guess

The National Institute of Standards and Technology provides several suggestions to promote password security, including not using personal information in your passwords. Kids’ names? Pets names? Address? Forget it. All of that information is easy for criminals to guess.

 

Don’t Tell Anyone Your Passwords

Never tell anyone your passwords. If someone calls you on the phone or emails you and says they’re with a service provider and need your passwords, hang up — it’s a scam. Additionally, do not keep written passwords out in plain sight.

 

Each Account Gets Its Own Password

 

Using the same password across multiple accounts is like giving attackers a master key that unlocks every door in your life. Do you really want to do that? Mix things up and use a distinctly unique password for each account. Password managers — which you should use — make it easy.

 

Double Your Protection With Two-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication

 

Whenever an application allows you to use multi-factor authentication (MFA), do it. It’s another way to ensure that the only person with access to your account is you.

 

Other Strategies to Stay Safe Online

 

Practicing good password hygiene all the time is something every one of us needs to do. But it’s also just one component of cybersecurity. You can arm yourself with multiple layers of protection by following these other practices promoted during Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

 

  • Think before you click. If a link looks off, don’t click. It could be an attempt to steal information or install malware. 
  • Update your software. Got a software update notification? Install it immediately. Even better, turn on automatic updates.
  • Get more information. Want to see everything you can do? Get all the tips about cybersecurity at the official website.

PreEmptive Is Security

PreEmptive helps organizations make applications more resistant and resilient to hacking and tampering. We are a global leader in obfuscation tools for Desktop, Mobile, Cloud, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Our products balance ease of use, strength of protection, quality of output, ROI, and security.

Learn more about our products.